The Giants have not made any big splash international signings since Marco Luciano in 2018. That's not to say they have not landed some solid prospects since, but it feels nice to finally see them associated with names on the international top 30 lists. Pre-COVID, this cycle would have kicked off on July 2 of 2021 but it was once again pushed back to January of the following year. Is January 15 the new normal start date moving forward? (Signing bonuses listed are reported, not disclosed)
The Giants reportedly signed two of the top 30 international prospects from this cycle including MLB Pipeline's #9, Ryan Reckley SS and #30 Juan Perez C. Here's the breakdown:
Ryan Reckley SS(Bahamas): 17 yo. B-S, T-R. 5'10", 170 lbs. Signing Bonus $2.2 M.
Reckley is a switch-hitting SS prospect from the Bahamas. His scouting report rates his scouting grades from 45-60 with power his weakest tool and run his strongest. MLB Pipeline has him with an "excellent feel for hitting and an understanding of the strike zone" and a "short, compact swing with above-average bat speed." "Speed to steal bases." "Good footwork, quick hands and enough arm strength to stay at shortstop." Reckley's signing gives the Giants a third solid SS prospect joining Marco Luciano and Aeverson Arteaga. Will Wilson may be a fourth, but his pro performance has disappointed so far.
Juan Perez C(Venezuela): 17 yo. B-R, T-R. 6'0", 170 lbs. Signing Bonus $1.2 M.
Perez's tools grade 50-55 across the board except run of 30 which is not surprising for a catcher prospect. Right now, his defense is rated as being ahead of hitting but shows "solid bat speed" and "drives the ball across the outfield, primarily to right-center field." "solid bat to ball skills." "Physically, Perez is strong and his strength translates to all parts of his game." Perez joins a stable of catching prospects in the Giants organization which includes former first round draft picks Joey Bart and Patrick Bailey along with international six-figure bonus baby, Ricardo Genoves.
Dennys Riera SS(Venezuela): B-R, T-R. 5'9", 165 lbs. Signing Bonus $700 K.
No scouting reports available that I could find.
The Giants reportedly signed 8 other international prospects including 4 RHP's, 2 OF's, and another C and another SS. Overall they signed 5 prospects from Venezuela, 3 from the DR, 1 from Bahamas, 1 from Colombia and 1 from Panama.
It's very tough to project international prospects at signing due to their extremely young age. They tend to be harder to predict than HS draft picks. On the other hand, a significant slice of the MLB talent pool pie comes out of the internatonal market and teams who aren't active in it are cheating themselves out of up to 1/3 of their potential talent. So, it's good to see the Giants out there competing for the top international talent.
If Ryan Reckley can develop into a similar type of player like fellow SS from the Bahamas Jazz Chisholm of the Marlins, that would be an exciting development for the Giants.
ReplyDeleteI think we can add Adrian Sugastey to the Giants stable of catching prospects.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Sugastry is another international signee 2019. I remember a time when the Giants didn't get much help from the international market, Panda comes to mind, Hector Sanchez.. Seems like the Giants are improving in this area. According to MLB.com, 7 out of their 30 top prospects are international signees. Camilo Dovall and Kerwin Castro were international signees who helped the Giants in 2021 playoff push.
DeleteDrafting 3 SS in this indicates the Giants are keeping plans for Marco Luciano to play another position eventually.
ReplyDeleteI would not read that into it. When you are signing 16 and 17 year olds as well as drafting future prospects, you take the best player(s)available regardless of position. You may lean toward filling a general need in the organization such as the pitching-heavy draft of 2021.
Delete16-17 yo Short Stops really mean the best athlete on his team, as SS is the most demanding position besides catcher. Many young SSs get bigger and move to 3B or shift to 2B or the outfield. I would not draw any conclusions related to Luciano because the Giants are drafting more young SSs.
DeleteBuster was an All American Shortstop as an 18 yo at FSU. That’s where the best young athletes hang out.
DeleteMaybe no Buster in the stable but Giants have pretty good prospects in the herd.
ReplyDelete...catcher prospects...
DeleteWrenzie Regodon has a good review on "Tyler Beede the x-factor for the SF Giants in 2022" at https://aroundthefoghorn.com/posts/why-tyler-beede-is-the-x-factor-for-the-sf-giants-in-2022-01fsg9907a7m#slideshow-top-bar-_cet7pdbvs
ReplyDeleteX-factor is about right. I can envision Tyler Beede having a season like Logan Webb's or no season at all.
DeleteThis looks like a great class so far. Any time you can add some of the top tier talent it can get your hopes up. They will continue to add other lesser known young players too. Baseball America has a international free agent signing tracker that can be viewed without having to purchase a membership.
ReplyDelete